JPH0633211U - Automated guided vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] Change direction without making a spin turn,
Carry out and unload. [Configuration] The automatic guided vehicle 20 is a three-wheel type having one front wheel 2 and a pair of rear wheels 4. When the vehicle is traveling forward (to the right in the figure) while detecting the traveling guide line L1 by the forward pickup coil 8, if the reverse pickup coil 9 detects the marker line M, the front wheels 8 advance on the program steering traveling route L3. To operate the steering wheel. When the reverse pickup coil 9 detects the pickup guide line L2, the reverse pickup coil 9 stops, and thereafter, the reverse pickup coil 9 detects the pickup guide line L2 and moves backward to unload and unload the load pallet 51.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to an automatic guided vehicle, which enables smooth and safe direction change for loading and unloading.

[0002]

[Prior art]

 A low-lift automated guided vehicle with a lift-type transfer device built into a part of the machine base was commercialized so that loads such as product pallets placed directly on the floor, carts, and skids could be directly taken and placed directly. It is used.

The low-lift type automated guided vehicle is a three-wheel type vehicle having a front wheel 2 on a main body 1 and a rear wheel 4 on a fork 3 as shown in FIG. A pair of auxiliary wheels 5 are provided on both sides of the main body 1 for the purpose of improving lateral stability. Steering and driving are performed by the front wheels 2.

A conventional mode of unloading by the above-mentioned low lift type automatic guided vehicle will be described with reference to FIG. (1) The automated guided vehicle 20 located at the position α travels forward in the direction A on the travel path 50. (2) When the load pallet 51 placed on the side of the traveling path 50 is approached, the speed is reduced and the vehicle stops at the position β corresponding to the load pallet 51. At the position β, the front wheel 2 is set at 90 °, and then the front wheel 2 is rotationally driven to spin-turn along the direction B. (3) When the position reaches the γ position, the front wheels 2 are set at 90 ° in the opposite direction, the direction of the front wheels 2 is returned, and the vehicle runs backward in the C direction. (4) After traveling backward and picking up the load pallet 51 with the fork portion 3, the vehicle travels forward in the D direction and returns to the γ position. (5) The front wheels 2 are stationary and returned to the β position through a spin turn in the E direction, and the front wheels 2 are stationary and rotated in the opposite direction by 90 °. (6) Travel forward in the F direction from the β position with the load pallet 51 placed.

The unloading is carried out by the procedure of (1) to (6) described above. Similarly to this, the unloading is performed by changing the direction using the stationary steering of the front wheel 2 and the spin turn. In the past, in the end, the work was carried out such as unloading and unloading by changing the direction by spin turns.

[0006]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 However, the above-mentioned conventional technique has the following problems. (1) When a spin turn is applied, a lateral force (centrifugal force) is applied to the load, which may cause the load to collapse. (2) When the γ position (see FIG. 4) is reached, the automated guided vehicle 20 largely goes out of the traveling path 50, and therefore, the floor surface must be provided with a space corresponding to the occupied area. . (3) Stationary steering and spin turns are required, and the control flow is complicated. (4) Since the front wheels 2 are stationary, the road surface and the front wheels 2 are greatly worn.

[0007]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 The configuration of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is provided with one front wheel, rear wheels arranged on the left and right, a steering motor for steering the front wheel, a traveling motor for rotationally driving the front wheel, and a traveling path. A forward sensor that detects the traveling guide line, a pickup guide line that intersects with the traveling guide line, and a reverse sensor that detects the traveling guide line, and a position near the unloading / unloading position. Then, the vehicle travels forward according to a preset program and steers the front wheels to make the direction of the carrier intersect with the traveling guide line.When the reverse sensor detects the take-up guide line, it stops and then reverses. A control unit for controlling the steering motor and the traveling motor so that the vehicle travels backward while detecting the pickup guide wire by the sensor.

[0008]

[Action]

 In the present invention, the front wheels are steered by program steering to change the direction of the transport vehicle without using stationary steering or spin turn, and when the reverse sensor detects the take-up guide line, it stops, and then the reverse sensor is used. Detects the pick-up guide line and travels backward to carry out unloading and unloading.

[0009]

【Example】

 Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The same parts as those in the prior art are designated by the same reference numerals.

First, the configuration of an automated guided vehicle 20 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in the figure, the main body portion 1 is provided with front wheels 2 and auxiliary wheels 5, and the fork portion 3 is provided with rear wheels 4. Steering of the front wheels 2 is performed by the steering motor 6, and rotation driving of the front wheels 2 is performed by the traveling motor 7. When traveling forward, the vehicle travels while detecting the guide wire (which is buried in the traveling path) by the forward pickup coil 8 provided in the main body 1, and when traveling backward, it is guided by the reverse pickup coil 9 provided in the fork portion 3. Run while detecting the line. The entire running control including the control of the motors 6 and 7 is performed by the control unit 10. In addition, 11 is a battery and 12 is a manual operation handle.

Here, a procedure for changing the direction for unloading and unloading will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, a traveling guide line L1 is buried along the traveling path, and a take-up guide line L2 is buried perpendicularly to the traveling guide line L1 while passing through the position where the cargo pallet 51 is placed. Further, a marker line M is provided at a position nearer to the pickup guide line L2, and the marker line M is detected by the reverse pickup coil 9.

While the traveling guide line L1 is detected by the forward pickup coil 8, when the automatic guided vehicle 20 is traveling forward along the traveling guide line L1 from right to left in the figure, the reverse pickup coil 9 When the marker line M is detected, the steering unit 6 and the traveling motor 7 are controlled by the control of the control unit 10, and the program steering is performed. That is, the control is performed so that the front wheels 2 travel along the program steering (PS) travel route L3 while traveling forward. The PS traveling route L3 is a program that is obtained in advance from simulation or actual measurement data, and the direction of the automated guided vehicle 20 intersects with the traveling guide line L1 by proceeding along the PS traveling route L3. The direction, in other words, the direction approaching the direction of the pickup guide line L2.

The program steering is performed as described above, and when the reverse pickup coil 9 detects the pickup guide line L2 (the state shown in FIG. 2), the vehicle temporarily stops. In the latter half of the program steering, the running speed is gradually reduced.

After the automated guided vehicle 20 has stopped in the state shown in FIG. 2, it travels in the reverse direction while the reverse pickup coil 9 detects the pickup guide line L2. Then, the loading and unloading of the loading pallet 51 is performed.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the direction change for loading and unloading can be automatically performed by smooth steering without using a spin turn that requires stationary setting. Although the electromagnetic induction method is adopted in the above-mentioned embodiment, other methods such as a magnetic induction method can be used.

[0016]

[Effect of device]

 According to the present invention, as described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, the direction change for unloading / unloading is performed by the program steering, so that the following effects are obtained. (1) The change of direction is smooth, and there is no concern about a load collapse. (2) Since the number of stoppages is reduced, the cycle time is shortened and work efficiency is improved. (3) When the direction is changed, the distance that the automated guided vehicle deviates from the traveling path is shortened, and the margin space may be small. (4) Since the stationary steering operation is not performed, wear of the road surface, tires, etc. is reduced. (5) The reverse travel sensor detects the pickup guide wire and stops, and then the vehicle travels backward while detecting the pickup guide wire. Therefore, the control using the reverse travel sensor continues, and the reverse travel is smooth. You can move on. (6) The present invention can be realized simply by adding a program to the control unit, and it is not necessary to add new parts or sensors.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an automated guided vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing a direction change by an automated guided vehicle according to an embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing an automatic guided vehicle.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing a direction change according to a conventional technique.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Main Body 2 Front Wheel 3 Fork 4 Rear Wheel 5 Auxiliary Wheel 6 Steering Motor 7 Traveling Motor 8 Forward Pickup Coil 9 Reverse Pickup Coil 10 Controller 11 Battery 12 Manual Operating Handle 20 Unmanned Transport Vehicle 50 Traveling Road 51 Load Pallet L1 Travel Guidance Line L2 Pickup guidance line L3 Program steering travel route M Marker line

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A front wheel and rear wheels arranged on the left and right,
A steering motor for steering the front wheels, a traveling motor for driving the front wheels to rotate, a forward sensor for detecting traveling guide lines provided along the traveling path, and a cargo pickup disposed crossing the traveling guide lines. The guide line and the reverse sensor that detects the traveling guide line, and when approaching the position for loading and unloading, the front wheels are steered while the vehicle travels forward according to a preset program, and the direction of the vehicle is relative to the traveling guide line. A control unit that controls the steering motor and the traveling motor so that the vehicle runs in a direction intersecting and stops when the reverse sensor detects the take-up guide line, and thereafter travels backward while detecting the take-up guide line by the reverse-going sensor. And an automatic guided vehicle.